Parenting: The Truimphs of Renji and Rukia Abarai
by crazy alligator
Summary: A series of oneshots/drabbles centering around Renji and Rukia's parenting skills when it comes to their 4 year old daughter, Hoshiko.  Installment #9: My Star.  NOTE: This is a FLASHBACK chapter, going back to the day Hoshiko was born.
1. Chapter 1

I really shouldn't be starting anything new right now, but I just couldn't help myself!

Bad Dreams

The shoji door to a quiet bedroom was slid open, flooding the area with light from the hallway and revealing the form of a small child whose shadow stretched far across the floor. She stood in the doorway, a light green nightgown with a pink chappy face printed on the front(an item which had been her mother's idea, of course)flowing down and around her tiny body. One hand weakly clutched at a stuffed rabbit which hung at her side, while the other rubbed her eyes.

"Mama...papa..." squeaked the girl, tightening her grip on the toy. At the sound of her voice, Rukia's ears pricked up in her sleep, and the female shinigami slowly opened her eyes, having to squint them immediately due to the blinding light coming from the hallway.

"H...Hoshiko?" she asked, after making out that the silhouette in the doorway was her daughter's. Struggling slightly, Rukia used her arms to push herself into a sitting position, the blankets which were covering her torso falling to pool around her lap. "What's the matter?"

Immediately, the small girl darted to her mother's side, nearly dropping her bunny in the process as she practically ran into Rukia, clutching tightly at the woman's robes as trembled and shook. Rukia, who had almost been thrown to the ground while catching Hoshiko, petted the girl's head softly as she held her close.

"Hey, hey what happened?" asked Rukia, trying to keep her cool even at the sight of Hoshiko in this condition.

"There were monsters..." muttered Hoshiko, still clinging to her mother like a koala to a tree. Rukia's eyes softened, recognizing the source of her distress.

"You had a bad dream, didn't you?" The redheaded girl nodded, clutching herself closer to Rukia. For just a minute, the soul reaper flashed back to when she was a child in the Rukon, where the only solace a kid could get for a bad dream was either the reality of a cold, lonely night, or another miserable, orphaned child(though in their living conditions, bad dreams were the _least_ of their problems.) She smiled slightly, glad that Hoshiko didn't have to endure the same.

"Are you saying that Usagi didn't protect you?" teased the raven-haired woman, referring to Hoshiko's stuffed bunny. Hoshiko raised her head from Rukia's chest, pouting slightly as she held the aptly named rabbit plushie in front of her.

"Usagi was scared too!" she explained. "That's why I took him with me!" Rukia chuckled, amused at her daughter's innocence and imagination.

"Well, it's alright now," assured Rukia. "You and Usagi are here with me and papa." As if on cue, Renji let out a rather loud snore and shifted in his sleep, causing both mother and daughter to giggle in amusement.

"Speaking of papa..." began Rukia, pulling Renji's covers down to his waist, "I think it's about time we wake him up too, don't you?" The statement was accompanied with a mischievous smile, and Hoshiko nodded eagerly, a grin spreading on her face as she began to forget about the monsters and beasts that had invaded her dreams.

"Oi, Renji," called Rukia, lightly nudging her husband in the side with her elbow. Her response was another snore, and then a gravitation of his body away from the sharp body part that was prodding his side.

"It didn't work..." said Hoshiko, disheartened, as the light in her eyes slowly began to fade. Rukia kissed her forehead, causing her to laugh and her spirits to rise once more.

"Don't worry, Hoshiko," her mother reassured. "There's plenty of ways to wake somebody up, especially if it's your dad." Hoshiko quirked an eyebrow, tilting her head to the side like a confused puppy.

"Like what?" Rukia smirked, and, with Hoshiko still seated in her lap, she reached over and brushed a bit of loose hair back behind Renji's ear, then proceeding to lightly scratch her nails over the area which she had uncovered, in an attempt to tickle him awake.

A few snorts, a giggle, and a couple bats to the side of his face later, Renji was half awake, his eyes cracking open as he observed the form of his sitting wife whose hand was withdrawing from his face.

_Oh, so that's what she wants_, he thought, smirking and licking his lips as he reached up to cup her face, raising his own upwards and towards it. "Come here, Rukia..."

Not two seconds later, Rukia's bare palm met the front of his face, and she caused him to go flying backwards and onto the futon. "What the hell!" he exclaimed, shooting into a sitting position. "What was that fo-" he silenced himself as he noticed that not only was Rukia beside him, but his love was also cradling their child to her body.

"Silly papa!" said Hoshiko as she laughed. "Mama didn't want a kiss!" It was obvious that the tiny girl was ignorant of her father's eventual intentions, but that was natural for a child of her age.

"Well then what do you want?" Rukia gave him a quick death glare, before stating,

"Your daughter had a bad dream." Instantly, Renji's gaze softened, and he looked at Hoshiko's face, observing that even though her lavender orbs were amused at the moment, they still held a bit of lingering fear. He held his arms out to her, offering a hug.

"Come on, Hoshiko." Said girl untangled herself from her mother, only having to go a couple steps before she could embrace her father. She still held Usagi, and was still a bit shaken up from her dream.

"Do you want to sleep with us tonight?" It was a question asked by Rukia, and Hoshiko nodded in response. And with that, Rukia lied down softly, her daughter doing the same beside her and then hugging her tightly. Renji, in turn, layed himself down so his front faced Rukia's front, and Hoshiko's back. His massive arms easily encircled the both of them, and after sharing a chaste peck, Renji and Rukia drifted into sleep, both embracing their young daughter as she slept peacefully, far away from any monsters that would torment her.

END OF INSTALLMENT

Aww, I love fluff. How did you guys like it? It tried to make it in character(a little unsure if I succeeded on that front)and I'll just update whenever I get a new idea, I guess. ALSO you should feel free to leave requests for this fic, as it does basically center around how Renji and Rukia act as parents in different situations, so I'd like to know what scenarios you guys want to read, not to mention I'll probably be able to write requests pretty fast. :) I'll try to give some much-needed attention to my other stories as soon as my brain starts working again(sorry about the neglect T_T), but for now, I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo does, and I love and appreciate all comments and opinions!


	2. Choosing a babysitter

Hey everybody! I'm a little surprised at how fast I updated this(it's rare for me these days), but I'm really excited about this fic and I'm glad everyone likes it! Anyways, this one is a request from Xionluna, I hope you like it!

Choosing a babysitter

It was a mission. A one week mission to Rukongai was the reason that Renji and Rukia had to leave their young daughter. Sure, they had gone on missions before, but never had they embarked on one that was a whole week long. Normally, Momo was the one to watch Hoshiko, when they were gone, but there was a slight problem with that arrangement this time: she was also going on the mission.

So now, a day before they were to depart, they sat, side by side, on the couch in their living room, a list of all the shinigami they knew written down on a slip of paper.

"Why didn't we do this sooner again?" asked a frustrated Rukia, skimming through the list and attempting to use the process of elimination to determine whom she trusted the most.

"Because we're bad parents?" replied Renji jokingly, smirking as his eyes also scanned the paper carefully, leaning closer to his wife to get a better look.

"Don't even kid," she hissed, elbowing his chest hard so that he let out a violent cough. He sent a poisonous glare her way, before muttering,

"Geez, it was just a joke..." Though, the male shinigami did feel slightly guilty, due to the fact that he knew Rukia was somewhat afraid of not bringing Hoshiko up right for obvious reasons.

"Why don't we leave her with Matsumoto?" he suggested. Rukia sighed in an exasperated fashion, clearly implying that he was a colossal idiot.

"Renji, how old is Hoshiko?" she asked him.

"Four..." he stated, not understanding what she was getting at.

"And how impressionable is a four-year old?" she continued, hoping that he wasn't as stupid as he seemed at the moment.

"Oh..." Renji's face screamed of realization as he grasped the concept she was going for.

"Yeah...do you really want our daughter coming a home with a bottle of sake and a hemline that goes down to her stomach?"

"No..." said Renji as Rukia crossed the big-breasted woman's name off the list. Suddenly, Renji's head shot up as he thought of another potential option.

"How about Ikkaku-san and Yumichika?" he stated, in a this-is-the-best-idea-ever tone. "She's been to the eleventh with me before when I went to train, so she knows them." Rukia thought for a minute, weighing the pros and cons in her head before nodding her consent.

"Alright. I suppose we can trust them to look after her." With that, Renji reached beside himself to where the phone was, picking up the receiver and typing in Yumichika's number before holding the object to his ear, hearing what seemed like an endless repetition of beeps before someone finally picked up.

"Ayesagawa speaking," came the voice of his beauty-obsessed friend.

"Can I ask a favor?" asked the redhead. "It's important."

"Sure," was his answer. "What is it?"

"I need you and Ikkaku-san to watch Hoshiko for a few days 'cause-" he was cut off by an excited gasp.

"You mean little Minako!" That was Yumichika's name for her, the thing he had always called her since her birth when he had proclaimed her an absolutely "beautiful child."

"Yeah," clarified Renji. "So can ya do it not?" The large man could almost see the disappointed pout on Yumichika's face as he answered,

"I wish I could, but Matsumoto is having a party tomorrow, and Ikkaku and I have to be there."

"Why's that?"

"Because she didn't ask us to go," he explained. "She told us."

"I see." Really, Renji couldn't blame them couldn't blame him. Matsumoto could be a really scary chick of you got on her bad side.

After an apology from Yumichika, the two exchanged goodbyes, and Renji hung up. Looking over to Rukia, he shook his head.

"They can't do it," he stated simply. "They're busy." Rukia muttered a 'dammit' under her breath, and then drew an uneven line through two names on the paper, which was now covered in doodles of rabbit-bears that she had drawn out of boredom while her husband had been chatting on the phone.

"I would ask Ukitake-taicho to do it but..." Rukia's words trailed off, and it was obvious that she didn't want to burden the man, whose health was worsening by the day. So, they simply went down the list, considering every person that was written down.

Kenpachi Zaraki was rejected because of many reasons, among them being that he already had a wild, rambunctious teenage Yachiru to handle.

Toushiro Hitsugaya was also taken off the list, due to the fact that he himself was still a kid.

They even threw out the idea of Nanao babysitting because she would be too busy looking after her captain to watch a child.

And after a couple hours of consideration, cursing, and frustration, they had decided on...nothing. All the space on the piece of paper was filled with either atrocious doodles of unidentifiable animals or scribbled out names of people.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and a disheartened Rukia put the paper down, standing and trudging over to open it. To her surprise, the visitor was her brother.

"H-Hello, nii-sama," she said surprised, as the man stared down at her from the other side of the door.

"Hello, Rukia," he replied coldly. "You and Renji are to depart on a mission tomorrow, correct?" Rukia's eyes lowered as she answered,

"Yes, nii-sama."

"What is the matter?" asked Byakuya immediately, sensing her distress. Rukia's head snapped up at his concern.

"I-It's nothing nii-sama, I promise," she assured him. "You should not worry about me."

"Must I ask Renji what your dilemma is?" questioned the noble, knowing exactly how to get her to tell him her problem. Realizing there was no way to get out of the situation, Rukia sighed and decided to just tell him the truth.

"Renji and I can't find a babysitter for Hoshiko," she admitted, tightening her grip of the door.

"Hm...I see." There was a pause in the conversation, Byakuya seeming to think for a moment as Rukia stared up at him quizzically.

"I will take care of her," stated Byakuya just as Rukia was starting to close the door. The female shinigami's head snapped straight up, and her eyes widened to platters.

"I can't ask you to do that, nii-sama-"

"I said...I will take care of her." It was obvious now that he was not offering to do it, but telling her that he _would_ do it under any circumstances. At a loss for words, Rukia was only able to bow her head and nod before shutting the door.

* * *

><p>Holding Hoshiko's hand, Rukia walked beside her husband to the Kuchiki manner to drop her off for the week. Renji would have been holding her hand too, but he was so tall that the action would be uncomfortable for both parties, Renji having to bend down a fair distance as Hoshiko had to stick her arm all the way up in the air.<p>

Soon enough, they had arrived at the door of the great manner, Hoshiko clad in a plain pink yukata with a yellow obi, her scarlet hair bound into two low, short pigtails as she used the hand that her mother wasn't holding to clutch Usagi tightly to herself.

Surprisingly, the door was opened by none other than Byakuya himself, rather than a servant who would address them as "Abarai-samas," like they had expected.

"Oji-sama!" called Hoshiko happily, delighted to see her uncle. Renji could swear that he almost sensed a smile on the face of his captain as the man responded,

"Hello, Hoshiko." Rukia released her daughter's hand, only for it to be taken a moment later by Byakuya.

"We'll be back soon, alright Hoshiko?" said Rukia as she knelt before the girl, patting her head.

"Okay," she replied, nodding. Rukia smiled, kissing Hoshiko's forehead. Renji did the same, before they walked away, the door closing behind them.

* * *

><p>"I'm so glad we were able to finish early," said Rukia as she and her husband approached the front door of the Kuchiki manor, hands interlocked.<p>

"Yeah," agreed Renji. "I was really startin' to miss our little Hoshiko." He knocked, and the door almost immediately opened to reveal a female servant, who bowed low to them.

"Kuchiki-sama and Hoshiko-sama are in Hoshiko-sama's temporary room," she stated. "Please follow me." The servant led them through various hallways, departing almost instantly after indicating the right room.

"Hoshiko..." whispered Rukia, cracking open the door softly. Renji looked as well, and what they saw was jaw-dropping. Byakuya sat on the ground, in front of a mirror, his raven hair free of kenseiken. Instead of the noble hair ornaments, his hair was twisted and tangled into a multitude of hair ties, barrettes, clips, and combs. Hoshiko, the obvious perpetrator of the new hairstyle, sat behind him, adding more and more objects to her uncle's locks.

"Do you want another ponytail, oji-sama?" asked the small girl as she picked up a hair tie off the ground beside her. The man smiled...he SMILED, and replied,

"I would love that, Hoshiko." Said child grinned, proceeding to grab a free strand of hair and twist the tie around it. That was the most shocking part. Byakuya was ENJOYING the activity. He wasn't just pretending to have fun for Hoshiko's benefit, he was...he was ACTUALLY having a great time, laughing and smiling as his niece mangled his hair. And all the couple from the doorway could do was stare, and watch as the event unfolded before them.

Their only regret was not bringing a camera.

END OF SECOND INSTALLMENT

Yay for kid-loving Byakuya! Hope you enjoyed, it was really fun to write. And thanks for the requests! The next one of these is going to be a request from Valentine'sNinja, and remember, I do love requests for this, so feel more-than-free to leave them! :) Plus I've got a couple adorable ideas of my own, so those'll be on the way soon too! Also, Hoshiko does mean "star child"(I literally went to a bunch of Japanese names and meanings sites looking for an awesome name for her character.) I saw the name, and fell in love with it, because, 1) It was extremely fitting, and 2) I just plain love how it sounds! Tite Kubo owns Bleach, I don't, and I love and appreciate all comments and opinions, so feel free to leave 'em!


	3. Nighttime Care

READ THIS NOTE! The reason I say this is because this installment actually takes place a few days after Hoshiko's birth, so I just wanted everyone to understand that so nobody gets confused. Anyways, this one is a request from Valentine'sNinja, hope you enjoy!

Nighttime Care

Loud, distressed cries emanated from a tiny room, flowing quickly into the larger room just across from it, and almost immediately waking the parents of the tiny baby who was the very source of the noises.

"...I've got it..." ground out Rukia groggily, placing her forearms flat on the ground to lift herself from the futon. Before she could even get to her knees, though, a large hand right on her back stopped her, thwarting her attempts to rise higher. Rukia's head snapped to the side, her half-lidded gaze focusing on the very man who was halting her, his own eyes tired yet serious.

"No," he corrected, replying somewhat to her statement. "I've got it." Rukia sighed, rolling her eyes at the same time. It was their first night back home from the fourth division, where Rukia had rested for three days after the birth, and her oaf of a husband wasn't letting her walk around much. Despite countless assurances by Unohana-taicho that she was nearly fully recovered, Renji had set a 'rule' that she had to be sitting or laying down 95% of the time for at least another few days. And she grudgingly agreed, but for three reasons only. One, she knew that he wouldn't budge on his decision in the slightest, even if she pulled out her pouty, girly routine. Two, he was watching her constantly, making sure that she didn't become too active. And three, that little part inside of her that loved romance and flowers secretly made her heart melt at his blatant concern.

"She might need to be fed," argued Rukia, attempting to make him give in even though she knew her efforts were futile.

"You fed her just before we put her to bed," he countered back, the hand on her back not budging even an inch. "And besides, you made up some bottles earlier, so even if she _is _hungry, you're not needed." As soon as the words had slipped from his lips, Renji realized that the statement, 'you're not needed' had definitely been the wrong way to word his sentence. Rukia's eyebrows met, and her lips contorted into a scowl.

"I'm not needed, you say?" she asked rhetorically as a dark aura began to surround her, her tone filled to the brim with poison. "So, you're saying that you can just magically produce breast milk on your own, without any help from me at all?" Now, rather than anger, her attitude seeped of mocking sarcasm. Renji would've mentioned the product from the human world called 'baby formula,' but feared that if he did he would just be digging himself into an even deeper hole. Rukia continued on, saying, "You, Abarai Renji, are telling me that you could've provided all the genes and chromosomes for her all by yourself, and then you could've carried Hoshiko in your rapidly growing stomach for nine months? And that, after that, you could've had the anatomic ability to go through 12 hours of incredibly PAINFUL labor to bring her into this world? Is that what you're trying to tell me, Renji?" At this point, her words had driven back to the nature of ferocity.

"Um..." was his only response as he sweatdropped, somewhat afraid to take the conversation any further. But before he could do anything, Rukia just plopped back down on the futon, rolling over on her side immediately so she was facing away from him.

"Whatever," she said flatly, not moving. "Go take care of her, I don't care." Renji just stared at her awkwardly, unsure whether she was just tired of dealing with him or whether she was fuming and trying to guilt him into something. Either way, he was afraid of what would happen if he engaged her further, so the redhead simply slipped out of bed, standing up and silently making his way to Hoshiko's nursery, which was a good thing, because her cries were beginning to get more and more desperate.

"It's alright, baby..." cooed Renji softly, picking the tiny being out of her crib, her small body already wrapped in a gray blanket. Even with her father holding her, Hoshiko continued on with her wails, distressed for a reason that Renji hadn't yet deciphered.

"What's the matter?" he asked, though he knew that getting a verbal answer was impossible. He rocked her back and forth slowly, placing a small kiss on her forehead in an attempt to soothe her. The large man would've attempted to sing, too, but knew that his terrible singing voice would just hurt her ears. That was an advantage to having Rukia around, the fact that her soft, smooth voice sounded beautiful and could put Hoshiko out like a light. The babe's cries died down a little, but she was still upset about something.

"Are you hungry?" Quickly, Renji made his way downstairs, opening the door of the refrigerator and grabbing one of the bottles Rukia had made earlier. Holding it up to her mouth, the man prayed that his daughter's crisis was hunger, so that he could get her to stop crying. But sadly, her tiny hand just batted the bottle away, and her shrieks escalated.

"Hey!" he snapped. "I'm trying to help you here, don't cry louder just because I guessed wrong!" In truth, Renji knew that he must've looked silly, talking to a baby like that, but he was much too frustrated at the moment to care.

Suddenly, a certain smell flitted past Renji's nose, and he immediately knew what the problem was, though he was dreading the solution. Walking a few steps into the living room, he yanked open a drawer and retrieved the soft mat that the couple used to change Hoshiko on. After also obtaining some wipes and baby powder, Renji quickly spread the mat out on the coffee table in front of the couch, placing the small baby on it as he proceeded to perform one of the biggest downsides, in his opinion, to having a kid.

Gently, he untangled her from the soft fleece blanket, setting the material on the floor behind him, and leaving Hoshiko in nothing except her cloth diaper. Unfastening the safety pin, Renji pulled it out, setting it beside the blanket as he opened the diaper to find that, yes, his daughter had gone number two. Sighing, he reached for a baby wipe, making sure to clean her bottom thoroughly before disposing of the excrement that lay in the diaper. After throwing the dirty cloth into the bin which he and Rukia had designated for dirty diapers, he snagged a new, clean piece of cloth from the same drawer where he had gotten the other baby products, and then started to wrap the material around Hoshiko's lower half. It took him a few tried until he could properly remember how it was supposed to be folded, but once he had achieved the right shape, he held the cloth in one hand as the other reached for the safety pin, being extremely careful not to poke her sensitive skin as he maneuvered the pin through the folds of the diaper, until clipping it back in place once again, and fastening the garment in place. The tattooed shinigami sighed in relief, glad that it was over.

...That was, until he noticed that Hoshiko still hadn't stopped wailing. Another sigh, this time of frustration, as he picked her up off the mat and placed her in the blanket once more, not bothering to put the baby products away. He strolled into the kitchen area once more, opening up the fridge again, but this time in search of something to eat for himself. And then, he saw a tiny pair of arms stretching, reaching for the bottles of milk that sat next to each other on the top shelf.

"So now you're hungry?" questioned Renji, reaching out and grasping one of the containers, and then holding it in front of her mouth as he had done only minutes earlier. This time, though, instead of acting repulsed at it, the tiny baby instantly began feeding, drinking greedily, her small hands attempting to grasp the bottle as Renji held it up for her, knowing that she wasn't old enough to hold it on her own. The redhead smirked triumphantly, glad that he had finally found a way to quiet her down, and being too relieved to care that she had gone from being on a hunger strike to eating like, well, eating like himself in just a few minutes.

Traveling back into the living room and continuing to ignore the forgotten changing tools, Renji reached into the drawer once more to retrieve a binkie, for when Hoshiko finished with her milk. Soon enough, the bottle was drained, and before Hoshiko could resume her crying, Renji replaced the bottle with the blue binkie, with seemed to make the tiny babe content, because she closed her eyes in relaxation as her father set the empty bottle on a table next to them. Then Renji redirected his attention back to Hoshiko, smiling down warmly at his baby as he felt pride and love surge through him, making the man feel warm inside.

* * *

><p>Rukia awoke the next morning to an empty bed, her eyes traveling from the spot beside her to the position of her daughter's nursery. Standing, the small woman made her way into the small room, only to find that Hoshiko was gone as well. She quirked a confused eyebrow, before heading downstairs, only to see a sight that made her let out an immediate 'Awwww!' Renji lay on the couch, flat on his back, sound asleep and snoring softly. One of his arms hung down off the side of the furniture, while the other cradled Hoshiko to his partly bare chest lovingly, the small baby being asleep on her stomach, her tiny fists balled as she rose up and down in accordance with her father's breathing, a binkie present in her mouth all the while. Rukia couldn't help but smile at the adorable sight, only now realizing that Renji hadn't cleaned up from last night.<p>

So, the female shinigami rolled up the changing mat, also scooping up the baby wipes and powder, making sure to be extra silent so that Renji wouldn't wake up and have a conniption at the fact that she was up and about instead of resting, but also because she didn't want to disrupt the cute scene of father-daughter love. Also retrieving the empty bottle, she went into the kitchen and placed it into the sink, grabbing the camera from a nearby drawer before reentering the living room and holding the object up to her face, positioning it so she could take a perfect picture of her husband being a loving dad.

"Say cheese, you two."

END OF THIRD INSTALLMENT

Aww! Renji's being a good dad! Isn't it cute? Hope you enjoyed, next installment is gonna be one of my ideas, but remember, I still love requests! Which reminds me, thanks to all who've left requests, including Valentine'sNinja, this one was for you! Tite Kubo owns Bleach, I do not, and I love and appreciate all comments and opinions!


	4. Mother's Day

Story time! Sorry about not having this up a couple days ago, but I really haven't had a chance to type it up until today, so...Enjoy!

Mother's Day

Rukia's eyes opened wearily, a small yawn escaping her lips as her vision came into focus.

"Mama..." whispered a tiny voice, giggling. "Wake up, mama..." There was a slight shake to Rukia's side, before another call of her name. Rukia propped herself up on her forearm, rubbing her eyes and struggling slightly to return to reality.

"Come on!" exclaimed Hoshiko, and then Rukia was tugged forward, causing her to snap completely from her half-asleep state.

"H-Hoshiko, wha-!"

"Put this on," said Hoshiko, cutting her mother off and practically shoving a pile of clothing into her arms. "Come to the kitchen when you're finished." The small girl smiled cheerfully, before running swiftly out of the room, giggling and closing the door on her way out. Rukia, still shocked and slightly confused at what was going on, simply looked down at what her daughter had handed to her, smirking as she saw that it was a clean white kosode paired with her favorite yukata, the blue one with a pink chappy head on the chest. And upon seeing her outfit, the woman also recognized the reason for Hoshiko's excitement, as she remembered what day it was. Her smirk renewed itself.

_No wonder Renji made me shower last night_, she thought, knowing that he probably hadn't wanted to waste time in the morning. Rukia stood to remove her clothing, quickly stripping off the crumpled white garment she had slept in and then sliding the fresh one over her arms before tying the folds together firmly. Briefly combing her fingers through her midnight hair, she then dawned the yukata. After tying a pink obi around her waste securely, she departed the room, heading downstairs to the lower level of the house.

Immediately, Rukia picked up the scent of something delicious, knowing that Renji must've cooked, Hoshiko surely acting as 'papa's little helper' in the process.

"Wait!" came a small voice as Rukia began to enter the dining space. "It's not finished!" Hoshiko held the fabric covering her mother's legs firmly, a cute little look of determination on her face that showed she wasn't going to let her mother come any further under any circumstances.

"Okay, alright already," said Rukia with a laugh, smiling down at her small daughter who wore a pale pink apron which covered her jade green yukata.

"Hoshiko, it's ready!" called Renji's voice from the dining room. The tiny child grinned ear to ear, face lighting up as she released her mother's yukata only to grasp her hand tightly, tugging her forward into the room. What Rukia was met with made her smile warmly. A grinning Renji stood there, wearing a plain white apron, his hands behind his back. What sat on the floor waiting for Rukia was a plate of fried eggs and cucumber, paired with a set of chopsticks that lay across the plate and a steaming cup of green tea beside it. Smirking once more, the small woman sat down, folding her legs beneath herself, and stared at the delicious-looking food before her.

"I'm assuming this was your doing?" asked Rukia, the question directed towards her smiling husband. His grin widened, and he opened up his mouth to speak when another voice piped up,

"I helped too!" Rukia's gaze redirected to her daughter beside her, the tiny girl grinning proudly at the fact that she had assisted in making the special meal for her mother.

"Of course!" beamed Rukia heartily, opening her arms for a hug. Hoshiko complied happily, gripping onto her mother while Rukia returned it tightly.

"Now try it!" exclaimed Hoshiko, breaking away from Rukia so the woman could eat. "Me and papa worked _real _hard on it!" Another smirk, and then Rukia picked up the chopsticks, plucking a small piece of cucumber from the plate and then coupling it with some egg before raising the food to her mouth, chewing slowly. Meanwhile, Hoshiko stood completely still, seeming to hold her breath as she awaited Rukia's reaction. After swallowing, the corner's of the small woman's mouth turned upwards, and she said joyfully,

"It's delicious!" Hoshiko's eyes sparkled brightly, before the small girl rushed out of the room. Rukia turned her head back to Renji, not able to keep the smile across her face from widening.

"Ya like your mother's day breakfast?" asked the redhead, knowing that his wife quite possibly may have lied for Hoshiko's sake.

"I did, actually," answered Rukia sincerely, punctuating her statement with a chuckle. "It makes me wonder how many times you burned it before it came out right." Renji's mouth quirked awkwardly to the side, and he responded,

"Two times, actually. Hoshiko was asking why the food smelled so bad the first couple a times, and I had to admit to her that I'm not always the best cook there is." This earned a laugh from Rukia, who then asked,

"So why did she run out of the room? Are there even more surprises you guys have to show me?" Renji face was mischievous, and it was obvious that he was hiding something behind those raised eyebrows and dastardly-looking smirk.

"You'll find out soon enough." As if on cue, Hoshiko scurried back into the room carrying with her something that made Rukia's eyes widen to platters.

"Here, mama!" beamed Hoshiko, holding the flower out to her. It was pink, a soft shade of pink that was accentuated by the water droplets rolling down the sides and causing it to sparkle in the light. Rukia realized what this flower was immediately, it was one of _those _flowers...the flowers that would float slowly along the river as the sun set beautifully across the land of Rukongai, the ones that she would lift from the water and gaze at lovingly, when the only things she had in the world were her closest friends and a raggedy kimono.

"Papa said they were your favorite!" continued Hoshiko, snapping Rukia from her memories. She took the sparkling flower from her daughter's hands, staring at it as a peaceful expression painted her face.

"Papa was right," she whispered, and from the corner of her eye, she caught the image of a content Renji, his mood no doubt that way because he knew she was happy. "Hoshiko?" asked Rukia silently, lifting her gaze from the flower to her daughter.

"Yes?" She was so adorable, especially in that moment, that Rukia just wanted to hug her and hold on forever.

"Why don't you go get ready; I'm guessing that you and papa have a big day planned for me." Hoshiko gave her mother a dumbfounded look, as if she were psychic, and replied, astonished,

"How did you know!" Rukia planted a tiny kiss on her cheek, answering,

"I have my ways." Hoshiko ran off not a second later, no doubt going to find her shoes, as Rukia set the flower lightly on the table, standing and turning to face her husband. "You actually did something right for once," she complimented with that same characteristic sarcasm of hers showing in her eyes and sounding in her voice.

"Why thank you," replied Renji, giving a quick bow before standing at his full height once more. "I figured, if we're supposed to get ya flowers, why not the ones that never fail to make ya smile?" And she continued smiling as she walked over to him, pulling him down by the collar so she could give him a kiss.

"Thanks, Renji."

END OF FOURTH INSTALLMENT

Fluffiness all around! Again, sorry for the slight lateness, but I'm just glad I got this done. Next chapter will be either another one of my ideas or a request from Xionluna :) Remember, feel free to leave requests! Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, not myself, and I love and appreciate all comments ans opinions!


	5. Father's Day

Here it is, as promised, a Father's Day installment, posted on Father's Day! This one also incorporates a request from Xionluna, hope you guys like it!

Father's Day

When Renji awoke in the morning, bright sunlight from the window running over his body accompanied by sweet birdsong, the redhead was not surprised to see that his wife was not, in fact, beside him. When he looked at the clock, he was a _bit _surprised to see that he hadn't gotten a wake up call from his daughter yet, however he figured that she and Rukia probably just weren't done with decorations and whatnot.

So, he waited. At first, he tried going back to sleep so time would go by faster, but the light was much too bright to even attempt that, since he had already woken up fully. He twiddled his thumbs a bit, and for what seemed like eternity, he just kept sitting there, expecting a little girl with his hair color to pop through the door with the intention of getting him out of bed. And when he finally decided to steal a glance at the clock(he had resolved to keep his eyes away for the time previous; after all, a watched pot never boils), Abarai Renji discovered that he had been waiting for a grand total of...half an hour. Well, crap.

That was it. The lieutenant was horrible at being patient, and even though he wanted to honor Rukia and Hoshiko's right to treat him to a surprise, he just couldn't take it anymore, dammit! Shoving the covers off of his body, Renji stood to his full height, trudging to the closet so that he could get one of his favorite yukatas. Opening the door, somewhat violently due to his frustration, he leafed through all the garments on the left side(he and Rukia each had a 'side' of the closet, left for himself, and right for her, so that the process of picking out clothing in the morning wasn't so taxing), and eventually came out with a nice yukata, colored a rich shade of dark blue.

After dawning the yukata, the large man departed his shared bedroom, walking down the stairs almost as if he were royalty. And, when he appeared to Rukia with a self-satisfied smirk, he found that she was, in fact...reading a book. Renji's brow scrunched up in confusion, as he watched the small woman sitting on the couch...it was like she didn't even realize what day it was! And she hadn't even acknowledged his presence yet, for crying out loud!

"Ehgem!" he signaled, and one of his wife's eyes turned to him with a disinterested look in it, her body not budging even an inch.

"Oh. Hey, Renji." Almost immediately, she went back to her novel, her eyes moving over the pages when they were supposed to be looking right at him with a smile.

"Rukia?" he asked. This time he didn't even get a movement of her eye, and she continued her chain of reading as she replied,

"Hm?" It was a short sound, almost hummed in a tone that said that she wanted him to go away so she could continue her activity with no interruptions.

"Do you know what day it is today?" asked Renji, struggling not to grit his teeth as his eye twitched in irritation. If she wasn't going to do anything special for him, she could at least acknowledge the holiday itself, for pete's sake.

"It's Sunday," she answered evenly, her tone not changing at all from that cold, uninterested one.

"No, I mean...do you know what _specific _day is today?" The redhead knew for a fact that his wife wasn't that stupid, so why was she refusing to recognize it?

"It's June 19th." Now, as mentioned earlier, Renji was not a patient man, and now he was struggling with the urge to run outside and scream into thin air. He pushed down the urge, however, instead clarifying,

"It's Father's Day." It was a struggle for the man to say the statement in his inside voice, but he succeeded, and this time he actually got Rukia to turn her whole head so it was facing him.

"That? Oh, I don't really care about that. It's silly, really. No big deal. I didn't even bother telling Hoshiko about it." And when she was done, her nose sank straight back into that book of hers, as if it were no big deal, even as Renji stared, agape.

"Whaddaya mean it's no big deal?" he almost shouted. "We celebrated Mother's Day for you!"

"Yeah, well...Mothers actually earn that. I mean, think about it. Fathers only help in the whole creation process...and we all know that that's nothing to complain about. Mothers, you see, we not only participate in that aspect, but we carry the kid, get fat, and then go through a very painful process-one that lasts for hours, I remind you-of actually bringing the kid into the world. And even though it's not how things work in this household, mothers are also generally expected to do most of the raising for the kids. Now, the way I see it, one of the days is very much deserved, and the other, well...it really isn't." That was even more unbelievable. Maybe the whole 'raising' thing was different when it came to other people, but with them, bringing their daughter up was a very shared and even process, as Rukia herself had admitted. But all this, her words, well...Renji couldn't say that he was angry, because...he was just plain hurt. With a look expressing that very emotion painting his face, he turned to head back upstairs. But before he could even process a thought, he was met with two tiny arms twining around his neck and a weight on the front of his body.

"We got you, papa!" beamed a very familiar voice, the owner hugging her father tightly as the man caught her, just barely managing to stay stable on the stair steps. His face immediately broke out into a happy grin, and he whipped around to face his laughing spouse, then rushing over to seat himself beside her, using the arm that wasn't holding their daughter to wrap around her and hold her close.

"I can't believe I still fall for your stupid acting all the time," he chuckled, nuzzling their faces together. Rukia smiled, pulling away so she could reach for his present, which was actually directly beside herself.

_Well, I never noticed that_, he thought, as she handed him the small box, Hoshiko watching excitedly from Renji's arms as he took the cover off, only to reveal a new, shiny pair of shades, the very ones he had been looking at nearly every day at the shop. His grin redoubled itself, and he hugged Rukia tightly once more, kissing her cheek multiple times as Hoshiko giggled.

"How did you get these?" he asked, taking them out of the box and examining them all over like a kid with a new Christmas present. "How did you even know I wanted them?"

"Are you kidding?" she replied. "Every time we pass by the Silver Dragonfly Shop, you ogle these things like they're me. And even though I may not be a high and mighty lieutenant, I am still a shinigami just like you, and I do make a salary."

"You know you didn't have to," he half-lied, carefully placing the sunglasses back into their box and setting the object aside. Rukia scoffed at that, countering,

"Oh yeah? Based on your behavior earlier, I'd say that, yeah, I kinda did." Renji was about to retort with a playful jest, but then stopped when Hoshiko spoke up,

"I have a present, too!" The small girl jumped down from her father's lap, scurrying over to the nearby bookshelf which held all the books the family owned, the very one she had forbidden him from touching all week. Yanking out one of the books, she opened it to a marked page and pulled out a slip of paper that was folded in half. Closing the dusty book once more, she ran back to her parents, handing the paper to her father as Rukia watched with a smile.

Slowly, so as not to rip the paper, Renji unfolded the gift, and what lay on the paper was a picture. It was three bunnies. And...he could actually tell that they were bunnies. They had long ears, whiskers, pink noses...in truth, the drawings, well...they were good. They were very good, especially for a four-year-old. Heck, they were better than any of her mother's drawings, making Renji wonder how a child with artistic abilities could even _be_ Rukia's offspring.

But after he got over that quandary, the redhead examined the picture more thoroughly. The largest rabbit on the page had bright scarlet fur(obviously, it was himself), and there was a smaller bunny with raven-colored fur, who was surely a representation of Rukia. The two bunnies were hopping happily in a field together, and with them was a very small bunny, who had red fur like the large one. Little Hoshiko. On it were the words 'Happy Father's Day, papa! I love you!', and then the two characters that made up the girl's name. He could tell that she had been practicing her writing.

"I love you too, Hoshiko,"said Renji with a smirk. "And I love your present, too. Thank you." Said girl jumped into her father's arms yet again, hugging him tightly, and he returned it with gusto as Rukia joined in. It truly was a great Father's Day.

END OF FIFTH INSTALLMENT

Yay for adorableness! And I actually fulfilled one of my promises, I got it posted today! Thanks to Xionluna for the request, and remember, feel free to leave them! Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, not myself, and I love and appreciate all comments and opinions!


	6. Festival Panic

Hey, everybody! I bet you weren't expecting me to update so soon, were you? Ideas for this chapter come from Valentine'sNinja and KendoGirl95, thanks for the support guys! I hope you all enjoy!

Festival Panic

"It's amazing!" cried Hoshiko as she gazed up at all the people, all the lanterns and stands, the lights and the bustling activity. It was her first festival, the summer festival to be exact, and the tiny girl couldn't find words to express her happiness. She wore a kimono for the event, the garment printed with a rather childish design, to fit her age. It was dark red, and was decorated with yellow curlycues, and a yellow obi to match.

"Calm down, you haven't seen anything yet," laughed Rukia as her daughter practically dragged her further into the festival grounds, Renji following behind with a grin. Rukia, herself, was also clothed in a kimono, however hers was a much more mature design, deep purple and adorned with images of red and white koi fish, and matched with a white obi.

"Shall we introduce her to your favorite festival food?" asked Renji, close to his wife's ear so that the tiny girl pulling her along didn't hear. A smile was earned from said woman, who set her feet firmly on the ground so as to stop Hoshiko's movement.

"What's the matter, mama?" asked the child when she realized that traveling forward was futile, her face painted with worry. Rukia just kept smirking, as she replied,

"Do you want to get some taiyaki?" Hoshiko's face lit up, her grin spreading from ear to ear as she nodded fervently. She had heard about taiyaki, the supposedly sweet and delicious fish cakes that were only available around festival time, and she very much wanted to try one for herself.

"You'll love 'em," commented Renji, and then the family quickly made their way to the nearest food stand. Fortunately, the line wasn't too long, so only a short amount of time passed before they were the next customers.

"Three taiyaki, please," said Rukia to the woman manning the stand, as she pulled a small coin purse out of her sleeve. After counting out the appropriate number of coins, the small woman took the taiyaki(each was wrapped in a napkin)from the stand lady, and the trio left promptly after thanking her, so as not to hold up other customers.

"For Renji," she said, handing her husband a cake, "and for little Hoshiko." The tiny child took the item gratefully, almost instantly taking a bite. And then, another. And another. It was delicious, the sweet bean paste filling going perfectly with the fish-shaped cake it was stuffed inside of.

"I love it!" she beamed, continuing to eat as her parents smiled down at her. It had always been a favorite of both, especially Rukia, and it was not surprising that their offspring held similar feelings about the treat. Hoshiko halted eating for a moment, lowering the half-eaten taiyaki from her mouth and down to her side so she could ask her mother, "What are we gonna do next, mama?" Before a response was given, the redheaded girl felt a 'whoosh!' go by her side, and then her food was gone. Snapping her head in the direction which it had been headed, she saw a gray blur-it was an animal, she could tell-dodging through the crowd, running at an ungodly rate, and in its mouth was-her taiyaki!

"Hey!" exclaimed Hoshiko, breaking away from her mother, her tiny legs moving rapidly, running after the creature as all thoughts except catching it left her mind. She ignored all else, even the gradually disappearing voices of her mother and father calling her name, as she weaved through the multitude of people, eventually turning a sharp corner to follow the animal in between and behind two stray stalls, and being met with bare dirt ground and no one in sight. The light was fainter in the back, and in a split second she lost the animal when it dashed into a bunch of thick bushes.

"Aww..." she said sadly, panting, a pout gracing her face as she returned back into the clamor of bodies, expecting to see her parents(they had surely followed her, she thought), but feeling fear and shock bolt through her as she realized that they were no where to be seen.

"M-Mama...?" she muttered, in a panic. "Papa...?" She ran through the crowd, looking for the purple of her mother's kind eyes, or for the blaring red of her father's hair, tears gathering in her eyes as her distress grew. At one point, she tripped, her tiny body falling and hitting the dirt ground hard, and none of the passerbys or stand owners even seemed to notice the little girl, even as she started to cry while searching for her parents.

As soon as she was able to stand from her fall, Hoshiko ran behind a random stand once more, tears beginning to streak down her face as she leaned against the back of it, sliding down into a sitting position as her knees came up to her chest. Just as she was entering into a full-on cry, she felt something brush against her side, and she looked down only to see a small kitten gazing up at her, holding in its mouth a piece of taiyaki which was half-gone. It was gray all over, except for its white paws, and a white stripe which extended from the animal's forehead, all the way down its back and down its tail, and then spreading to make the whole tip of the tail white.

_That's... _thought Hoshiko, remembering back to the animal which had snatched the taiyaki from her in the first place. Before she could react to the sudden appearance, the kitten dropped the cake in her lap, standing on its hind legs and using her body for support so it could lick her face. The action caused Hoshiko to giggle, and she reached up with one hand to pet the creature's head, the other rubbing her eyes to wipe the moisture away from them.

"What's this?" came a voice from beside her, and Hoshiko quickly looked up to see a woman with blonde hair, whose kimono hem dipped low to show her cleavage, and who was accompanied by a man with black, spiky hair, and a '69' tattoo on his face. And upon seeing them, the redhead immediately remembered that these were shinigami, her parents' friends. Miss Rangiku and Mister Shuuhei.

"Are you lost, sweetheart?" asked Rangiku softly, kneeling before the girl. Hoshiko nodded, and then found herself gathered in the woman's arms, being carried as she and Shuuhei came back out into the active streets of the festival.

"We're gonna get you to your parents, kay, kid?" asked Shuuhei, wondering how exactly Hoshiko had been separated from Renji and Rukia in the first place. The tiny girl nodded happily, ridding her eyes of more tears as Rangiku commented,

"And those two say _I'm _irresponsible. Well, I've never lost a kid...aside from my taicho, that is." The kitten, which Rangiku had picked up with Hoshiko, was swooped up by the blonde's free hand, which held the relaxed animal in front of her face.

"This is a pretty cat, Hoshiko," she sweetly said to the girl, smiling. "Is she yours?"

"It's a girl cat?" asked the child, as said kitten was set back into her arms.

"Yep, as far as I can see. Does she belong to you?" repeated Rangiku, as the individual whom the question was directed at fed the creature taiyaki.

"I don't know," replied Hoshiko. "She's been going around all by herself, and I haven't seen her with anybody, so I don't _think _she's anyone else's." Before the conversation could continue, there was an interruption by Shuuhei.

"Hey, Hoshiko," he said, causing the girl's attention to focus on him, "Guess who I found." He pointed, and Hoshiko's eyes followed in said direction, her breath catching when she saw none other than her mother and father, just a few meters away, as they spoke to a stand owner in distress.

"Mama! Papa!" she cried in delight, her face filled with joy. The said individuals snapped up with a start, turning to see the face of their elated daughter, and then running over to her without hesitation.

"Hoshiko!" yelled Rukia, taking her daughter, and, coincidentally, the kitten, into her arms from Rangiku's, nuzzling the child's face as Renji hugged the both of them tightly. "Are you okay, baby?" she asked her daughter, extremely worried that she could have been hurt or damaged in some way.

"Uh huh!" answered Hoshiko, hugging Rukia(and Renji, as much as she could) back tightly.

"You're lucky we found her," said Shuuhei. "We just happened to hear crying from behind one of the stalls, and then went to see what it was. Turns out, it was her." Renji released himself from the family embrace, replying,

"Thanks so much, Hisagi-san. I owe you one. You too, Matsumoto." He was obviously very relieved, a smile gracing his face as he thanked the two.

"No problem," said Shuuhei with a smirk. "Anytime."

"Buy me some sake, and we're even," joked Rangiku.

"Who's this?" asked Rukia, examining the kitten that was present in her daughter's arms. She had only now noticed the small creature.

"She's the kitty that took my taiyaki," explained Hoshiko, even as she continued to feed the stolen item to the thief. "She followed me after I got lost, and I think she's a stray. Can I keep her?" The child looked up at her parents with hopeful eyes, and Rukia looked the kitten over once more. It was shaggy, obviously lacking any kind of grooming, and there was no kind of collar or sign of ownership on the animal. The raven-haired woman smiled.

"Of course you can." Hoshiko's smile widened, and she hugged the cat closer, kissing its head.

"What are you gonna name her?" asked Renji, causing Hoshiko to pout in confusion.

"Um..." she looked down at the feline, as it ate the very last bit of taiyaki from her hand, and then she smiled in confidence as a light bulb went off in her head. "Her name's Taiyaki."

END OF SIXTH INSTALLMENT

Yay, happy ending! :) Pointless fact: before today, I thought that taiyaki was some kind of meat on a stick...earlier, I googled taiyaki to see what it looked like, and found out that it was a fish cake filled with red bean paste. F- my life. Anyways, thanks to KendoGirl95 and Valentine'sNinja for the ideas, they fueled this installment. :) And remember, all prompts/ideas/requests are welcome and loved! Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, not myself, and I love and appreciate all comments and opinions!


	7. Taking Care of Tayaki

*facepalm* Well, I just realized that, throughout this whole chapter, I totally botched the cat's name. But, don't worry! IT HAS BEEN FIXED! EVERY SINGLE 'TAYAKI' HAS BEEN CHANGED TO ITS CORRECT SPELLING OF 'TAIYAKI.' I'm very, very sorry for the screw-up. T_T Anyways...this chapter shows a little bit more of Hoshiko's actual personality than some of the others do, so I hope you like it. Also, this one was all me idea-wise! Enjoy!

Taking Care of Taiyaki

Hoshiko silently peeked her head in through the doorway of her parent's bedroom, a smile spreading the length of her face when she observed that they were sleeping soundly. Creeping away, the tiny girl tiptoed silently through the hallway so as not to wake them, her recently-acquired kitten following closely behind, and maintaining an instinctive feline silence. As soon as she had managed to get downstairs, Hoshiko climbed onto the couch, her messy scarlet hair bouncing slightly as she sat herself down on the cushion. Taiyaki jumped up beside her, and she observed the kitty's new collar. It was bright red, to contrast with the animal's soft, light colors, and from it hung a fish-shaped dog tag engraved with Taiyaki's name, on the back of it being where to return her if she got lost. The family had also gotten the new pet groomed, and Taiyaki was now clean, her fur cut short and neat to match the style of her breed.

"What is it?" asked Hoshiko, as Taiyaki nudged her side with its nose. The cat then turned its head towards the kitchen, before returning to nudging her. Getting the hint, Hoshiko stood from the sofa, making her way to the requested room, Tayaki jumping down beside her feet to pull at the hem of her nightgown with its mouth, demanding that she move faster. The redhead pouted.

"Calm down, I'm going," assured Hoshiko, reaching down to scoop up her cat so it wouldn't rip her nightgown. Her bare feet padded into the kitchen, and she set Taiyaki down, the creature scurrying over to the pantry door to paw at it, hind legs planted firmly on the ground as she begged for sustenance. Walking over, Hoshiko gently set the cat aside, then opening the door to reveal shelves of food stuffs. The big bag of cat food rested on the shelf about a foot above her head, and she rose up on the tips of her toes, reaching desperately for the paper sack. Since obtaining the cat a couple weeks ago, her parents had always performed the feedings, retrieving the cat food from the pantry and scooping out a correct portion for the animal. But, the small girl didn't want to wake her parents, instead resolving to do it herself.

Hoshiko strained herself, stretching up even further. After a few failed grabs, and even some jumps, she plopped down into a tired sitting position, panting from the effort. Turning her head, the child caught sight of a chair in the dining room, shooting up and rushing to grab it. As she dragged the object onto the tiled floor of the kitchen, Taiyaki watching anxiously, it began making an obnoxious screeching sound. The din obviously displeased the cat(it was shaking its head, and mewing in distress), and though it was akin to nails on a chalk board, Hoshiko's resolve stayed strong, and she barely even seemed to notice it.

Placing the chair before the open pantry, Hoshiko pushed herself up onto the seat, then carefully standing up, and smirking in triumph as she saw that the food was now at her eye level. Reaching out, she grasped the thick paper with both hands, pulling slightly, expecting for the bag to come out with hardly any force. But, sadly, she had underestimated the weight. It was heavy. It was really, really heavy. She pulled harder, but again, the cat food didn't budge.

"Aw, come on..." huffed the girl, pulling with all her might. Even though she was exhausted, she was determined to do this. She took a deep breath, and yanked as if her life depended on it. And, well...a loud ripping sound filled the air not long after. Hoshiko's eyes, which had been closed in deep concentration, snapped open, and she was met with the sight of two large holes opened in the bag, and hard pieces of cat food spilling out onto the floor. Immediately, she looked down to see that Taiyaki had rushed forward, and was now gobbling up the food greedily, munching morsels off the floor.

"Taiyaki, stop!" exclaimed Hoshiko, jumping down off the chair and grabbing her kitty, carrying it out of the room as she ignored its disappointed mews. "That food's dirty," explained the owner, setting her animal on the couch in the living room. "You could get sick. I'm sorry, but you have to wait here, okay?" The cat's ears hung down, and its tail drooped, but nevertheless, as if understanding her master's orders, Taiyaki lie down comfortably on the cushion, burying her head in her paws, and causing Hoshiko to smile in success.

"Good girl," said Hoshiko, petting her head affectionately. "I promise I'll get you some food when I'm finished cleaning." With that, Hoshiko scurried to the closet in the downstairs hallway, opening the wooden sliding door to reveal an array of coats, cleaning products, and other random things which had been stored away over the years. Out of the mess, she identified a broom and dustpan, then grabbing the items from the closet and hurrying to the kitchen to clean her mess.

Setting the dustpan on the floor, Hoshiko held the broom as upright as she could(it was taller than she was, so she had to hold it by the middle and lower parts), and in a smooth stroke, she made a sweep of some of the food towards the pan, only for the pan to be pushed away, with only a small bit of the food gathering in it. The tiny girl pouted, knowing that, with her height and arm length, she wouldn't be able to effectively sweep with one hand while using the other to hold the pan. So, she looked around for a way to solve her dilemma, a light bulb going off when she saw the corner of the room where two of the four walls met. Setting down the broom, she snatched up the dustpan, bringing it to the corner. Setting it down, she placed the end of the handle squarely into the corner, so it touched both of the two meeting walls, and then was pleased to see that she was right, the two back angles of the actual 'pan' part both fit firmly to the adjacent walls of the corner, making it so that the dustpan wouldn't budge, and also making it look as if there was a big triangle made of two smaller triangles.

Striding triumphantly over to the motionless broom, Hoshiko picked it up once more, and continued her job, sweeping the dirty cat food into the pan, and emptying it occasionally. Luckily, she had ripped the bag close to the top, so there wasn't too much clean up. When not a single little piece of hard food remained, Hoshiko collected the dustpan and placed the objects back into the closet, as close to their original spots as she could manage.

Returning to the kitchen, Hoshiko climbed atop the chair once more, this time with Tayaki's food bowl in hand, and reached inside one of the holes she had made to grab the scoop for the food, an object which the family kept inside the bag for convenience. In truth, she herself found that scooping the food out of holes made lower in the bag seemed easier than uncurling the top and reaching all the way down into the bag(even though she had never performed the latter option.) Once the bowl was filled, Hoshiko curled the top of the bag further down so it covered the holes, then jumping down and setting the food bowl on the ground in the place that Tayaki ate, being careful that she didn't spill anything.

Quickly, she returned to the chair, now dragging it to rest in front of the sink. After snatching up her kitten's designated bowl for water, Hoshiko, for the third time that day, pulled herself onto the chair, and was just barely able to reach the faucet handles, her body having to stretch over the sink to do so. When she turned the handle, water came gushing out of the faucet, hitting the sink and running at full force. Once the water bowl was filled, she turned the handle in the opposite direction, and then jumped down to set the water bowl next to the food bowl. As soon as the chair was back in its proper place, Hoshiko returned to the living room to fetch her kitten. And, when she arrived at her destination, she saw that Taiyaki was squatting...

"Taiyaki, no!" she practically screamed, bolting to pick up the animal, then running for dear life to the bathroom, where the litter box was. Thankfully, the kitten did not initiate doing her business until her owner had set her in the correct facility, and Hoshiko sighed in relief. It definitely wouldn't be fun to explain to her parents why there was a big, yellow stain on the floor. As soon as Taiyaki was done, Hoshiko picked her up once more, carrying her into the kitchen. As soon as they were there, the feline jumped from its caretaker's arms, zipping to the bowls of sustenance, and the redheaded girl watched happily as her kitten ate the food the _she _had gotten for it, all by herself.

"What's up, Hoshiko?" asked Renji, coming in through the door with his night garments on, hair messy and disheveled.

"Papa!" cried Hoshiko in excitement, anxious to tell her father about her accomplishment. "I fed Taiyaki all by myself!" She was obviously very proud of the achievement, and Renji reached down to ruffle her hair.

"Great job," said Renji, smirking as he praised his child. "How did you do that?" He was somewhat curious as to how she had gone about the task, since she was so small.

"Well, I kinda ripped the bag at first..." admitted the tiny girl, looking down with guilt reflected in her eyes, "but then, I cleaned it up, and then I used the rips to get the food out. I'm sorry..." Hoshiko was a bit worried that her father would be mad, but after pouting a bit, he sighed, and half-smiled at her.

"It's okay," he said, adding, "Since you cleaned it up, and took responsibility. Also, you have to promise to let me or mama help you next time." Hoshiko nodded happily, and Renji patted her head once more before heading back upstairs.

END OF SEVENTH INSTALLMENT

I hope you guys liked this chapter, I myself am a little unsure of how it came out. But, that really is up to you guys. Again, for any that read this chapter before the edit, I'm very sorry about the incorrect spelling. Tite Kubo owns Bleach, and I love and appreciate all comments and opinions!


	8. Obasan

I'm so, so sorry about being so late, but I have limited time lately, and its hard to get writing time in, I'm very sorry T_T Anyways, this kinda-sorta relates to an idea from Xionluna(just wanna make sure no one yells at me ^^'), and I really, really hope you guys like it, as this is a very heartwarming one I have been brainstorming for months. Enjoy!

Oba-san

Kuchiki Byakuya watched the backs of his sister and her husband as they departed from the manor of his family, the couple's daughter waving a goodbye to her parents as her other hand gripped onto his own.

This was Hoshiko's second stay at the manor, the second time her parents were occupied with a week-long mission. Due to their history, Renji and Rukia often doubted themselves as parents, though anyone who had seen them with their daughter was sure to disagree. In truth, they were wonderful parents. They took care of her, comforted her, loved her, and cherished her, making sure that she led a good, happy life. They taught her about morals and manners, and being polite. And, it reflected in the small girl's personality. She was a joy to be around, kind and sweet, and considerate of others.

"Can I go play inside, oji-sama?" asked Hoshiko, looking up at her uncle as soon as her mother and father were out of sight. Byakuya looked back at her, a slight smile tugging at his lips, before answering,

"Yes, you may." The tiny child's smile widened, her grip on his hand relinquishing as she made her way to the front door of the manor, her kitten following behind her like a shadow. After opening the door, Hoshiko swiftly removed her shoes, setting them neatly beside the entryway, before running down the freshly-polished wooden floors of the hallway, her padding footsteps echoing somewhat off the walls. Following her path, Byakuya stepped inside, closing the door, before an idea struck him.

"Hoshiko?" he called out, though the only proof that she was present in the house was the sound of her thumping feet on the floor. The rhythmic sound stopped, and he heard a reply.

"Yes, oji-sama?" She had stopped in her running, waiting for what her uncle would say next.

"Do you want to go out to the garden?" There was a pause, and then rapid footsteps again. Except, the sound was getting closer. In almost no time, Hoshiko had reappeared around the corner, an excited grin on her face.

"Can we, oji-sama?" asked the small girl brightly, almost skidding to a stop before him. Byakuya couldn't help but return her expression to an extent, not caring if his niece saw his emotions, as he took her hand to lead her to the door which led out to the lush Kuchiki gardens.

As soon as the shoji screen was slid open, the flowers and sakura trees revealed in all their glory, Hoshiko's eyes lit up even more, the tiny girl breaking away from her uncle, running along the stone pathways that twisted and curved throughout the intricate garden. Byakuya watched as his niece played with her kitten, carrying the creature along with her as she admired the colorful koi fish swimming in the pond, and then scolding the feline when it made a beeline for one of them. The sight caused a chuckle to arise in the noble's throat.

At one point, she was lying in the patches of flowers, rolling around in the soft grass, though being careful not to disturb the presence of the colorful lilies and marigolds. It was obvious that Taiyaki, beside her, was not as fond of the activity, because the animal was shaking her head, sneezing and pawing at her nose.

Byakuya knew that if his deceased ancestors were aware of this, were aware of a 'poorly bred' child playing in the dirt of their luscious, noble gardens, that they would be rolling around furiously in their graves. But, the noble just couldn't see any reason why he should care at the moment.

By the time Hoshiko was done playing, her clothes were all messy, as was her fiery hair, and her face and hands were streaked with soil. Holding Taiyaki in one arm, she used her other hand to hold her uncle's as they walked inside. Once there, one of the servants happened to be nearby, and the woman practically shrieked upon seeing the not-so-clean child entering the manor. In less than a moment, the servant snatched Hoshiko up, running her to the nearest bathroom, while chirping nonstop, 'Oh my, oh my, Hoshiko-sama! You need a bath right this instant!'

Once they were totally gone, Byakuya was left with the cat. He looked down at the kitten, and, in turn, it looked up at him. Deciding that the creature was smart enough to follow him, the man turned to head towards his quarters. While Hoshiko bathed, he knew there would be time for him to finish up a bit of undone paperwork.

* * *

><p>Now, time can go either fast or slow, when one is doing nothing but filling out reports and writing their signature on a line. Since he almost always kept to the task at hand, the job proved to make time fly by for Byakuya. He sat at the small desk in his bedroom, sorting and shuffling through document upon document, while his free hand continuously petted the small, purring kitten beside him.<p>

Even with this fact, however, when Byakuya resolved to make a temporary stopping point in his work, he was shocked to see that an entire hour had gone by since Hoshiko had been whisked away to bathe. By this time, Taiyaki had fallen asleep, and Byakuya stood from his sitting position, leaving his room to search for the small girl. Surely, they hadn't fed her. All the servants were aware that he liked to dine with his niece when she was staying at the manor.

These questions continued to plague the noble's mind until, upon turning a corner, he saw a very visibly-opened door, the very door which led to the room that...

In an instant, Byakuya was at the frame of the entryway, and his suspicions were confirmed. Hoshiko sat alone, in the center of the floor, clothed in a sleeping yukata, the back of the garment slightly damp from where her still-wet hair clung to it. And, her gaze was transfixed upon...

"Who let you in here?" demanded Byakuya, though not letting any vehemence whatsoever creep into his voice. Immediately, Hoshiko's face snapped in his direction.

"Miss Yuki," she answered, referring to the servant that had her take take bath. "When I was done in the tub, she dried me off and helped me get dressed, and then told me to go to my room. I got a little lost, so I just opened the doors I thought might be right...I thought this might be the one, but..." she trailed off, taking another glance at the object seated against the wall. "She's so pretty..." In an instant, the redhead changed the subject, as she stared, seemingly mesmerized, at the small picture of the delicate woman, her large, doe eyes that drooped slightly with a mixture of sadness and kindness, and her gentle smile, messy black locks falling to frame her face gracefully.

Byakuya looked at his niece as she gazed upon the image of her aunt, and felt his throat tighten, even after all these years. "She's your oba-san," he said, to make sure that the tiny girl understood that the portrait was of her aunt, not her mother.

"She looks just like mama..." as she spoke, Hoshiko's eyes never left the picture. "Hisana oba-san." At this point, she turned her head so she could look at her uncle directly. "Mama told me about her; she said you loved her very, very much."

"I did," confirmed Byakuya. "I still do. You know, she loved the gardens, just like you do." A smile broke out on Hoshiko's face.

"She did?" asked the child excitedly, hands tightening on her knees in anxiousness.

"Yes," replied Byakuya. "She loved all nature. And, if she were still alive, I'm certain she would love you, too." The clan head was full-out smiling now, his heart warming at the fact that Hoshiko took such interest in her mother's sister.

"I wish she were still her..." muttered Hoshiko, turning her eyes back to the picture, her smile softening.

"As do I." Though his emotions were sparked, in the back of his mind, Byakuya remembered a task which still lay unfinished in his room. "Hoshiko, do you mind if I leave you with oba-san's picture for a little bit?" She shook her head, and with that, Byakuya departed.

* * *

><p>Two hours was the amount of time it took Byakuya to finish all the paperwork that was left. By this time, he suspected his niece was asleep, as it was dark outside, and he felt slightly guilty that he hadn't found time to eat dinner with her, as he had wished to do.<p>

Grabbing a blanket and Taiyaki, he made his way to Hisana's shrine once more, and when he opened the door, what he saw, though somewhat matching his theory, was much more than he could have imagined.

Hoshiko was asleep. This much was true. However, when one's eye drifted over to the portrait of Hisana, what they saw was mind-blowing.

Lilies. Marigolds. Roses. Pansies. Sakura blossoms. A plethora of these, and more kinds of flowers than he could not name at the moment, surrounded the frame, placed delicately so that the setup looked stunning. Even more so than before, Byakuya felt his heart twist with a mix of sorrow and joy as he gazed upon the sight. Hoshiko truly was a sweet child...

Nestling the cat against said girl's body and covering them both with the blanket, Byakuya walked back towards the doorway, whispering, just before his quiet departure,

"Thank you, Hoshiko."

END

Awwwwwww...hope you enjoyed, Bleach owns Tite Kubo, and I love and appreciate all opinions.


	9. My Star

Hey dudes! I'm really excited because this fanfic is definitely in the highest demand when it comes to people craving updates from me, so I'm glad I was able to get a new chapter out to everyone :D Even though it kinda took a long time hehe... NOTE: This chapter is another flashback, and goes back to the day Hoshiko was born. Anyhow, Xionluna asked for this idea, but it's for all of you to enjoy! So...enjoy!

My Star

All Renji could do was watch. Watch with his brown orbs as the tiny, red-faced creature in his love's arms wiggled a bit, opening her eyes slightly as she cooed up at her mother. Rukia, still lying on a futon and propped up by several pillows, seemed to have no memory whatsoever of the pain the child's delivery had caused her, as she touched the tip of her nose to the infant's forehead, a radiant smile spreading across her face as she laid a kiss there. It was plain to see that the small woman was experiencing one of the most joyous moments of her life, as Renji's trained eye could make out tiny beads of moisture gathering around her eyes.

And, honestly...he himself was not far behind her. They had a child...a precious baby that was theirs, who had both of their blood running through her veins. A testament to their love.

Soon, some fourth division squad members were going to come into the room to take the child's name, so her existence could be recorded completely and officially into the seireitei's logs. It was long ago that they had decided names, and the one they had chosen for a girl at that time was 'kimi'. It meant 'noble', and the reason for the selection was that, since both of them were originally from poor and poverty-stricken beginnings, they wanted to, in a way, give her a status which they knew society would almost definitely never regard her with, if only because of her parents' origins.

But now, as Renji observed his wife and their daughter, as he kept his eyes on the little miracle of life who was only a few hours old, he couldn't help but think one thing.

"Rukia," he said, breaking the silence which just then, he realized, had lasted a while. Her eyes turned to him, and he couldn't help noticing that, when she answered him, her voice was still a bit weak and hoarse, despite the bliss she was currently swimming in.

"Yeah?" Her eyes were alight, her smile wide and bright as she looked back at him, waiting for a reply. He couldn't help returning her expression as he continued,

"So, I've been thinking." The statement was simple and vague, and had the potential to spiral off into several different conversations. Rukia tilted her head just a bit, her face taking on a bit of a perplexed look.

"About what?"

"Well, I know we already have a name picked out..." As he said this, the direction in which his eyes were gazing shifted, and settled on their baby daughter. Rukia knew what direction he was going in now, as his voice had that _pull_ to it at that end that begs the speaker to go on.

"Did you have another idea for what to call her?" asked the petite woman, curious as to what name he was thinking their child was suited for. Recognizing that she was open to the idea, Renji smiled a bit, eyes still on the bundle in Rukia's arms.

"All I can think when I look at her is that she's special..." he was cut off by a small laugh from Rukia, and after a slight, indignant glare at her and an internal recognition of how corny and obvious he sounded, he went on. "I mean...she's like you." At this the laughter in Rukia's large eyes disappeared, and she began listening intently, curious as to what he would say. "She's amazing...breathtaking. She has the potential to accomplish so much, and she deserves to have everything she could ever hope for." Though touched, Rukia thought that maybe her husband was going a little too far with his words, in the sense that she was only an infant, had only been drawing breath for less than a day.

"Calm down Renji, she's just a baby...I don't think you can really predict her character quite yet," Rukia half-joked.

"Nah," he said quickly, refuting her statement, "I can tell. She has your genes." And his hand nestled into the crook of the violet-eyed woman's elbow as he cupped his daughter's tiny head, using his thumb to tenderly stroke the side of her face. "She's not like me, a worn out, ratty stray." All the while, his gaze lingered on the child's face, the man unable to detach it. "She's like you, born for great things. She's...a star. Just like her mother." And he looked up at his wife, and she looked back at him, a touch of sadness hinting in her orbs as she heard him speak of himself so lowly. But, recognizing his higher intentions, she decided now was not the appropriate time to discuss that, and instead stuck to the matter at hand.

"So, what does this have to do with names?" It was another little joke, and Renji just smiled more, looking back down at his daughter.

"I want to give her a name that shows that," he said simply.

"So, were you thinking something like...Hoshi?" 'Star'. It was the most literal name she could be given if they went with Renji's idea, but he only shook his head, surprising his spouse.

"No..." he said. "You're the original star, Rukia. She's a star too, but she's the original star's daughter. She's the star child. She can't be just 'Hoshi'. I was thinking-"

"-Hoshiko?" His resulting smile was enough to affirm her statement, and as she thought about this new proposal, she found herself smiling, liking the idea. 'Hoshiko'..it fit. "I like it," she said simply, and both knew that the decision was made.

Which was perfect timing, because not as second later, a young female member of squad four knocked on the door, opening it when she received an affirmative from the opposite side.

"Have you decided on a name?" she asked them sweetly, and Renji smirked, placing a kiss on Hoshiko's head before pulling away and standing to face the woman.

"Yes, we have."

END

Aww, who else loves the fluff? Come on, you know you love it :) In case no one caught when I mentioned it before, Hoshiko means 'star child' (though you probably already figured that out if you didn't know it already). When this fic was still in the planning stages and I was searching for a good (and suitable) name for Renji and Rukia's daughter, I saw this name, and knew that it was extra super duper PERFECT for her. Brownie Points if you see why I think this :) And remember people, request something if you wanna see it, because even if I don't use an idea outright, many of them are a great inspiration, and if I use your idea YOU DO GET CREDIT! :DDD Anyways, Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, and I love and appreciate all comments and opinions!


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